Propelling mechanism.



W'. F. WILKE.

PROPELLING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAY19, l9l 6.

1 ,21 8,027. Patented Mar. 6, 1917 auumdoz WILLIAM RWILKE, or LA FAYETTE, INDIANAJ,

mommi s m g-a n.

To all whom may 00mm:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM F. WILKE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at La Fayette, in the county of Tippecanoe and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Propelling Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to propelling mechanism for water, air and land craft the object in view being to provide a propeller, and actuating mechanism therefor, by means ofwhich a strong sculling action is produced by the working surfaces of the propeller, the action being similar to that derived from a scullingoar when inthe hands of an expert.

A further obj eot of the invention is to so arrange the propeller and the actuating mechanism therefor that said mechanism may be driven by an engine carried by the craft.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herein described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a boat showing 'the propelling mechanism of this invention in its applied relation thereto.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view ofthe rear portion of the boat on an enlarged scale illustrating the operation of the propeller and a portion of its actuating mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken in line with and through one of the propeller controlling and actuating levers.

In illustrating the present invention, I have shown the same as mounted upon aboat A but it will of course be understood as the description proceeds that the propeller and its actuating mechanism may be mounted upon and used in conjunction with land, water and air craft.

' The propeller l is shown in the form of a thin blade which is preferably curvilinear in the direction of its length as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, said blade being connected by pivotal joints 2 to a pair of levers 3 and.

4 by which the propeller blade is supported, carried and actuated. The propeller is preferably located in rear of the boat and the levers 3 and 4: are preferably located beneath the bottom 5 of the boat, the levers being connected by pivot joints 6 at their I Specification of Letters latent. V

gear 16 which is used for the rear extremities to a cross head or yoke? which is p ivotally supported at 8; beneath Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

Application filed May 19, 1916.. Serial No. 98,607.. A

mg 11 in the lever, 'the lever and cranky shaft being held in proper relation to each other by a nut, head or, shoulder 12 on the bottom of the crank 10. The main body of the crank shaft extends through a stuffing box 13 in the bottom of the. boat and. I

has fast thereon within the boat, a spur gear 1 4. Between the spur gear 14,as illus-' trated in Fig. 1, there arranged a master gear 15 which meshesdirectly with one of the gears 14 and indirectly with the other gear 14 by means'of' an interposed idler purpose of causing the crank shafts 9 to turn in oppo site directions. Bearing a fixed relation to the gear 15 is a beveled gear l7'which meshes with and is actuated by another bevel gear 18 on an extension 19 of the shaft 20 of an engine conventionally shown craft. 7

In view of the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it will now be understood that when the engine is in operation, the gear 15 is rotated and the crank shafts 9, by

at'21 and arranged within the body of the means of the gearing described, are simul- V taneouslyrotated in opposite directions,

therefore imparting a corresponding movement to the cranks 10. These cranks operate on the levers 3 to move both of said levers simultaneously in the same direction as indicated by full and dotted lines in Fig.

2. In said figure the dot and dash lines indicate the limit of movement of the pro-' peller blade 1 in one direction and the dotted lines indicate the position of the propeller blade when it has reached a point about midway of its, full stroke in one direction. The, full lines indicate the medial position ofthe propeller blade 1 when'op-,

It will be crating on the reverse stroke. obvious upon an examination of Fig. 2 that the propeller blade l acts in a manner simi V I lar to the action of a'sculling oar in the hands of an expert, said propeller blade having a shearing action causing it during a portion of its stroke to sweep the water rearwardly and slightly to one side and to have almost adirect rearward push on the Water as it approaches the limit of its movement 111 each direction. By reversing the direction of rotation'ot' the engine, the action of the propeller is also reversed thereby driving the craft in a rearward direction.

lit is to be understood that the propeller and its actuating mechanism are designed to be used with any character of craft to be propelled such, for example, as Water, land and air craft. Furthermore, I reserve the right to make such changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construe tion as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim V V l. The combination With a craft, oi substantfa-ll parallel motion levers extending generally in a longitudinal direction With respect to the path oi movement of the craft, a propelling blade pivotally connected to the outboard ends of said levers, a pivotal yoke connecting the inboard extremities of said levers, crank shafts journaled in the body of the craft and having their cranks operatively connected to said levers, and means for equally and simultaneously rotating said cranks in opposite directions.

2. The combination With a craft, of substantially parallel motion levers extending generally in a longitudinal direction With respect to the path of movement of the craft, a propelling blade pivotally connected to the outboard ends of said levers,,a pivotal yoke connecting. theinboard extremities of said levers, crank shafts journaled in the body of the craft and having their 0 units operatively connected to said levers, means for equally and simultaneously rotating said cranks in opposite directions, means for equally and simultaneously rotating said crank shafts in opposite directions, said operating means comprising gears on said crank shafts, other gears interposed between and meshing with the first named gears, said gears for causing the latter to simultaneously rotate in opposite directions, and actuating means for one of said interposed gears.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

WILLIAM F. l/VILKE.

Copies of thispatent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

